In review: La belle Hélène

Review

Last night I went to see opening night of the Glenn Gould School's production of Offenbach's La belle Hélène.

In review: Tap:Ex Tables Turned, or Go See This Show

Review

Last night was the first of two performances of Tapestry's 2nd annual Tap:Ex (Tapestry Explorations/Experimentations), this time the program is Tables Turned, featuring the music of Montréal-based composer and turn table artist Nicole Lizée, with percussionist Ben Reimer and the spectacular soprano Carla Huhtanen.

Lieder for Lunch: the COC Ensemble Studio in Recital

Review

Review of COC Ensemble Studio members Gordon Bintner, Andrew Haji, and Jennifer Szeto, with Head of the Ensemble Studio, Liz Upchuch, in recital at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, April 9, 2015.

In review: Orpheus & Eurydice at Opera Atelier

Review

A collaborative review with contributor Greg Finney of Opera Atelier production of Orpheus & Eurydice at Opera Atelier.

In review: Street Scene

Review

On Sunday afternoon I went to see VOICEBOX: Opera In Concert's production of Street Scene at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Kurt Weill's "American Opera", with text by Elmer Rice and Langston Hughes, is a fantastic piece, and I agreed with Artistic Director Guillermo Silva-Marin when he said that the show doesn't get done enough.

In review: Tcherniakov's Don Giovanni

Review

After much anticipation (and averting my eyes from the opening night reviews), I had the chance to see the COC's current production of Don Giovanni, directed and designed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, and conducted by Michael Hofstetter. The production was new to me, and my curiosity was piqued by some press photos and a few rumoured details.

He said/she said: Songbook V

Review

Marking the end of my weekend hat-trick of stuff to see, was Tapestry’s Songbook V. It’s the fifth year of Tapestry’s New Opera 101 Program, which gives singers and pianists a chance to work on contemporary opera with some of the best in the business; the rep is chosen from within Tapestry’s impressive library of commissions.

In review: Modern (Family) Opera

Review

Last night Opera 5 opened their double bill, Modern (Family) Opera, which was made up of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s Il segreto di Susanna and the world première of Darren Russo’s new opera, Storybook. Stage directors Grace Smith (Wolf-Ferrari) and Opera 5 Artistic Director Aria Umezawa shared the double bill, bringing their unique styles to two pieces that couldn’t have been more different.

In review: Mozart's Obscure Opera + Mass in C Minor

Review

Thursday night was the first of three concerts to be given by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, programming Mozart’s fantastic Mass in C Minor, K. 427, with fragments of two of his lesser-known operas, Lo sposo deluso and Zaide (K. 430 and 344, respectively). Paul Goodwin conducts the TSO, both the Amadeus Choir and the Elmer Iseler Singers, as well as the evening’s line up of formidable singers: soprano Hélène Guilmette, mezzo Julie Boulianne, tenors John Tessier and Jean-Philippe Fortier-Lazure, and baritone Gordon Bintner.

In review: Songs of Love and War

Review

At lunchtime on Thursday, January 22nd, members of the COC Ensemble Studio gave a concert in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Just past the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the music on this concert dealt with themes of war, love, and separation; we heard songs by Erich Korngold, Charles Ives, Hanns Eisler, and Francis Poulenc.